Alan Pardew

[TRon]

Pardew saying he thinks Taylor was really unlucky with the penalty decision. The deluded twat should be sacked for that alone.

 

Pardew has always talked Taylor up right from his arrival here as manager. Personally I prefer defenders who at least attempt to stop the striker rather than run towards the goal posts to try and save it on the line.

[nufc4eva]

My biggest problem is we just look so disjointed and dont have much idea how to break teams down most of the time, possession is a foreign concept, we play long balls to an often isolated Cisse with no focus on the 2nd ball, make stupid defensive mistakes and commit stupid fouls. I also dont believe the players are that fit.

 

He has to go in the summer, he has a reasonable amount of talent to play  with and no idea how to use it, no fresh ideas, just nothing. Yes we played well for 20 mins yesterday but then reverted to type. He has to be bold and attack teams rather than scared of them because we often lose when decide to defend we have more chance if we attack teams

[arnonel]

I dont buy this. The was we played in the first 20mins is how we set out in the beginning, and how Pardew set us up. So credit there.

Benfica then started playing well, and our players take responsibility here. We got sloppy and let them back in to the game.

 

 

[Crumpy Gunt]

My biggest problem is we just look so disjointed and dont have much idea how to break teams down most of the time, possession is a foreign concept, we play long balls to an often isolated Cisse with no focus on the 2nd ball, make stupid defensive mistakes and commit stupid fouls. I also dont believe the players are that fit.

 

He has to go in the summer, he has a reasonable amount of talent to play  with and no idea how to use it, no fresh ideas, just nothing. Yes we played well for 20 mins yesterday but then reverted to type. He has to be bold and attack teams rather than scared of them because we often lose when decide to defend we have more chance if we attack teams

 

I think more and more are beginning to see Pardew is extremely limited. Lets hope theose who matter most are thinking as clearly.

[Stu]

I dont buy this. The was we played in the first 20mins is how we set out in the beginning, and how Pardew set us up. So credit there.

Benfica then started playing well, and our players take responsibility here. We got sloppy and let them back in to the game.

 

 

 

I must have missed the 20minute-mark team talk that Pards gave when he deliberately changed tactics and invited Benfica to come back into the game. What did he say?

[Parky]

We spend 80% of our training time working on defence and still have one of the worst defensive records in the league.  Tonight we've probably sealed our fate in the UEFA because of 2 defensive mistakes and we didn’t look comfortable at the back at all.  I’d love to know what we actually do for 4 days a week because I see no evidence of it during a match.

 

Well Pards mainly practices press conference voodoo.

[Lotus]

As will often happen during a bad season, i think the manager and players have lost confidence in each other. Doesn't mean they don't like one another, just deep down i don't think they believe in each other. Our attacking players have a skill set that Pardew doesn't trust and the players are looking lost and directionless for large swathes of each match.

[mrmojorisin75]

I dont buy this. The was we played in the first 20mins is how we set out in the beginning, and how Pardew set us up. So credit there.

Benfica then started playing well, and our players take responsibility here. We got sloppy and let them back in to the game.

 

 

 

I must have missed the 20minute-mark team talk that Pards gave when he deliberately changed tactics and invited Benfica to come back into the game. What did he say?

 

more importantly Stu, what did he do to stop them doing whatever they liked and come back from a goal down to go in front?

 

away team plays well goes a goal up, home team reacts (maybe changes tactics) and fights back...pretty common in football really and pardew's job to adjust the team tactically whenever required and something he consistently fails at

 

 

[Guest VanBarduck]

“It has been hard for Danny and he showed a little bit of confidence tonight, like his old self. A great pass for the goal and he’ll get a big lift from that.”

 

 

?? 

[Lotus]

“It has been hard for Danny and he showed a little bit of confidence tonight, like his old self. A great pass for the goal and he’ll get a big lift from that.”

 

 

?? 

 

It was an awesome pass to play Sissoko in. He defended ok as well.

[Guest neesy111]

Sunday is the key test for me regarding Pardew.  Don't blame him for much last night apart from the selection of Gosling.

[ExiledGeordie]

Sunday is the key test for me regarding Pardew.  Don't blame him for much last night apart from the selection of Gosling.

 

Yah Sunday is a big game for him I agree.

[nufc4eva]

I dont buy this. The was we played in the first 20mins is how we set out in the beginning, and how Pardew set us up. So credit there.

Benfica then started playing well, and our players take responsibility here. We got sloppy and let them back in to the game.

 

 

 

I must have missed the 20minute-mark team talk that Pards gave when he deliberately changed tactics and invited Benfica to come back into the game. What did he say?

 

The manager should be able to change things, also comes from coaching about how to regain control and soak up pressure. there are zero recognised patterns of play from us. We simply struggle any time a team passes the ball around. Its in the planning and coaching that can prevent what happened, we leave too much to chance not good coaching, strategy and tactical work

[Wilson]

In ---------------------------------Out

                                  ^

                                me

 

'Out' lost a hyphen last night. Didn't think it was too bad a set up, couldn't fault the selection and we started brightly 1st and 2nd half and 'had a go'.  However, subs and sitting back at times are still keeping me towards PARDS OOT

[ScottishMagpie]

Just watched his interview on NUFC TV "....shown enough tonight that we can cause them problems but think we're going to have to win on Sunday to get the momentum for our fans and for our players as well......"

 

Am I mis-interpreting that?  Was winning on Sunday optional like?

[Skeletor]

Just watched his interview on NUFC TV "....shown enough tonight that we can cause them problems but think we're going to have to win on Sunday to get the momentum for our fans and for our players as well......"

 

Am I mis-interpreting that?  Was winning on Sunday optional like?

 

Wouldn't surprise me

[SteveMc]

Think you've misinterpreted. He's saying Sunday is the priority and will impact on how we approach the second leg. Total sense tbf

[Guest bimpy474]

Think you've misinterpreted. He's saying Sunday is the priority and will impact on how we approach the second leg. Total sense tbf

 

I was just about to post the same thing, completely agree

[ScottishMagpie]

Thanks.  So either way he's saying he's going to be going out for the win on Sunday for two reasons a) premiership survival and b) build momentum for the 2nd leg.  Will be interesting to watch his team/tactics on Sunday.

[Stu]

I dont buy this. The was we played in the first 20mins is how we set out in the beginning, and how Pardew set us up. So credit there.

Benfica then started playing well, and our players take responsibility here. We got sloppy and let them back in to the game.

 

 

 

I must have missed the 20minute-mark team talk that Pards gave when he deliberately changed tactics and invited Benfica to come back into the game. What did he say?

 

more importantly Stu, what did he do to stop them doing whatever they liked and come back from a goal down to go in front?

 

away team plays well goes a goal up, home team reacts (maybe changes tactics) and fights back...pretty common in football really and pardew's job to adjust the team tactically whenever required and something he consistently fails at

 

 

 

Funnily enough, that bit in bold isn't what happened. We went a goal up, everyone assumed it would spark Benfica into life (they'd not done much up until that point and seemed pretty rocked by our positive play) but we continued to enjoy lengthy spells of possession (relative to what we're used to, not Barca). It wasn't until the Cisse effort that got deflected onto the post, then heart-breakingly stayed out, rather than trickle over the line, that Benfica jumped into action.

 

In all likelihood this was probably a combination of a) their players realising the first wasn't a fluke and we weren't there to make up numbers and b) some (if not all) of our players being a little disheartened by the 'miss'. They knew Benfica were a formidable prospect at home, so to come within an inch of going 2 goals ahead is pretty galling (see the match thread for evidence). For Benfica to then equalise almost straight away is just another kick in the teeth. I thought the players did well to see it out until half-time level, as Benfica really didn't want the half to end.

 

There's not a lot Pards can really do from the sidelines (EDIT: up until halftime of course, although this in itself has been repeatedly highlighted as a weakness of his this season), his best bet is to tell them to forget about 'lady luck' not going our way with that effort and to go out and start the second half the way we started the first...amazingly enough, we do that and we come inches away from taking the lead again.

 

In the professional game, where mentality and psychology are often the difference in high-stakes games, there's a lot for a plucky team to 'forget about' and keep playing. Maybe Santon was half-thinking 'maybe tonight's not going to be our night' when he took that second ball down on his in-step and hadn't picked up Lima's run...who knows, but the team still kept on even after that howler.

 

They were individual mistakes that led to the 3 Benfica goals; from Krul's 'rusty' parry and no-one picking up the runner, to Santon's backpass and STaylor's handballs. We had two (or three) moments of misfortune at the other end, coupled with some poor decision making by our attackers at key points, which could have been two or three goals of our own on another night.

 

For me and several others, Pards did a good job last night but was 'let down' by the individual errors...if he sticks with game-planning as accurate as that, he'll have a good end of season run in regardless of next Thursday night. The defensive players won't be making mistakes of those magnitude (and in the same match) again.

 

 

[Guest bimpy474]

Strange subs last night, but generally can't fault him.Begs the question why we cant attack teams like that from the off in the league, showed how dangerous we can be.  And also validated what people had said about giving the ball early to Cisse

 

The key to giving it early to Cisse was, Cisse held it up and laid it off well, gives the team the chance to break and get forward.

 

Most of this season he's been so poor at it, he was very good last night. Just need him to take it into the last half a dozen games too.

[Disco]

Strange subs last night, but generally can't fault him.Begs the question why we cant attack teams like that from the off in the league, showed how dangerous we can be.  And also validated what people had said about giving the ball early to Cisse

 

Perch was carrying a card against several tricky players and can't be trusted not to dive in

Simpson went off injured

Marveaux has been down with cramp moments before getting hooked

[Guest neesy111]

Strange subs last night, but generally can't fault him.Begs the question why we cant attack teams like that from the off in the league, showed how dangerous we can be.  And also validated what people had said about giving the ball early to Cisse

 

Perch was carrying a card against several tricky players and can't be trusted not to dive in

Simpson went off injured

Marveaux has been down with cramp moments before getting hooked

 

Maybe he's on about the people who came on?

 

I honestly believe Obertan should of had a run out against their suspect and high line defence.

[Al Moody]

Strange subs last night, but generally can't fault him.Begs the question why we cant attack teams like that from the off in the league, showed how dangerous we can be.  And also validated what people had said about giving the ball early to Cisse

 

All of this.

 

I'm not sure how people can blame Pardew for anything that went wrong last night. Haters gonna hate.

[Dr Venkman]

Every time Stu says Pards, a fairy loses it's wings.